THQ uDraw GameTablet lets you doodle on the Wii

Peripherals for the Wii have in some cases verged on the ridiculous, but THQ is planning to release a new device this Holiday season that’s genuinely useful. It’s called the uDraw GameTablet, and allows you to draw on the Wii much in the same way you would with a tablet connected to a PC.

The tablet is described as follows:

The device is a small white handheld tablet with a 4″ x 6″ drawing space and detachable, pressure-sensitive stylus designed to offer more subtle control and precision than available on the traditional Wii Remote. The Wii Remote docks discretely within the uDraw GameTablet, allowing the device to draw power directly from the Wii Remote. A convenient storage area hides the Wii Remote wrist strap and stylus when not in use. The uDraw GameTablet also features tilt-and-roll movement options, allowing players to interact and control in-game characters by moving and directing them through game levels. Additionally, SD-card support enables players to save and print their artwork and other uDraw creations.

When released it will cost $69.99, but does ship with uDraw Studio which allows for the creation of artwork that can be saved. Alongside the release two more games will be available for $29.99 each. The first is Pictionary which is a sketch and guess game that includes rotating canvases, one-line challenges, and other new modes. The second game is Dood’s Big Adventure where you control Dood and navigate him through 60 levels doodling as you go.

This is more like it for a decent Wii peripheral. Rather than baby dolls and inflatable cars what we have here is a tool kids can play with and learn to use, even improve their drawing skills. Add to that 3 games that take advantage of it and this is more than just a gimmick.

If THQ only had a drawing game for the device then the $70 investment would have looked like a lot of money for such a limited device. But with more titles to buy at a relatively cheap $30 each, and hopefully more planned, parents may see this as a good investment. It certainly has the potential to hold the attention of kids longer than a game, especially if they can save their creations.